The present invention relates to a document feeding apparatus comprising transferring means for feeding a document to a predetermined position to set thereat and transferring the document from the predetermined position, and ejecting means for receiving the transferred document and ejecting to an ejecting tray.
In a conventional document feeding apparatus comprising transferring means for feeding and setting a document at a predetermined position on a platen of an image processing apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a main device) such as a copying machine and for transferring the document from the predetermined position after the necessary processing is completed, and ejecting means for receiving the transferred document and ejecting to an ejecting tray, driving means for driving the transferring means and driving means for driving the ejecting means have been provided separately. (Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Sho 62-169142)
As described above, with provision of the separate driving means for the transferring means and the ejecting means, the transferring means and the ejecting means can operate separately. Thus, it has advantages, for example, such that documents can be ejected at a speed faster than a linear velocity of the transferring means; or an ejecting operation of the document can be continuously carried out even in case the transferring means is to be stopped in the mid-way of transfer of the document, as in a document feeding apparatus wherein a transferring operation of a first document and a setting operation of a second document at a predetermined position are performed at the same time, that is, a step feeding. (Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei 1-236136 or Hei 1-236137)
However, the transferring means and the ejecting means have separate driving means and operate independently, but in a section where the document is transferred to the ejecting means from the transferring means and receives feeding forces from both the means, the feeding linear velocities of both the means must completely coincide with each other. Because, if, for example, a linear velocity at the side of the transferring means is faster than that at the side of the ejecting means, the document to be ejected is bent since the latter half of the document is fed faster than the first half to thereby be damaged, i.e., wrinkled. Therefore, it has been a problem that many steps are required to make the linear velocities of the driving means for both the means coincide with each other.
Further, when the linear velocity at the side of the ejecting means is a little faster, there is no risk of the damage as mentioned above, but driving means with a large output is required.
Also, in case a document is drawn out under the stopped feeding means, there has been a problem such that driving means with a power greater than that required for simply ejecting the document is necessary.
The present invention has been developed based on the problems of the conventional apparatus, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a document feeding apparatus wherein driving means for transferring means and ejecting means are provided separately, an ejecting operation can be carried out at will and quickly regardless of a feeding linear velocity at the side of the transferring means, and further a large power for driving the ejecting means is not required.
The present invention comprises transferring means; ejecting means for ejecting a document to a paper ejecting tray; first driving means drivingly connected to the transferring and ejecting means to drive the same at a first speed; second driving means drivingly connected to the ejecting means to drive the same at a second speed; connecting means for preventing the driving force of the second driving means from being transmitted to the transferring means as well as allowing the driving force of the first driving means to be transmitted to the ejecting means; and control means for controlling such that after the first driving means is driven to feed the document from the transferring means to the ejecting means, the first driving means is stopped, and the document is ejected to the paper ejecting tray by the second driving means.